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Small-Business Success: Micano Home and Garden’s Sam Sprague

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sammy1. Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Sam Sprague. I am originally from Fernley, Nevada, I am an artist and I own Micano Home and Garden. We are the only cultural handmade gallery in Reno, and we specialize in world decor and rustic garden art. I opened my business in 2003. Me and two other people originally thought up the name Midtown Business Association, that later became Midtown District. I have been a board member many times and I am currently the membership coordinator for Midtown District. My store Micano’s buys local art and handmade products from artist all over the world.

2. What motivated you to work for yourself and start your business?

I was managing Custom Truck on Kietzke Lane and one day a woman came in and asked me who designed Custom Truck. I did, I answered. She asked me my name and told me that I was too talented to waste my god given talents on truck accessories.She told me I should open up a decor store or become a designer. I believed her and three months later, I opened up Micano’s.

3. What is your greatest “game-changing” moment (positive or negative)?

The game changing moments for my store is the day Reno Magazine put me on the cover in 2012 . The title was: The New Midtown. I was able to tell my story about my quest to make Midtown Micano’s home and our quest to make something special for Reno.

4. How do you define success?

My whole life’s quest has never been about money. I have never ran with the crowd or did anything because everyone else was doing it. That’s why I built the only handmade cultural gallery in Reno, to show people here; we have culture and artists here, we just need to cultivate it.

5. What tips can you give to others who want to go into business for themselves?

Reno has never been a town where people walked to support stores, nor have we ever had a district where so many cool stores have struck it out together as one. If you have something special, something amazing enough, that it might be the only one in the world. Come to Midtown and join in our quest to change Reno, we will welcome you with open arms and hearts. You can sink or swim with the best of us — we are Midtown Disrict Reno!

Find Micano Home and Garden on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Micano-Home-and-Garden/223001397624

Bob Conrad
Bob Conradhttp://thisisreno.com
Bob Conrad is publisher, editor and co-founder of This Is Reno. He has served in communications positions for various state agencies and earned a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2011. He is also a part time instructor at UNR and sits on the boards of the Nevada Press Association and Nevada Open Government Coalition.

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